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Broncos' defense dials in at right time

Broncos allowing 15 points per game in past four

By Mike Klis

The Denver post

Posted:
01/25/2014 10:58:15 PM MST

Updated:
01/25/2014 10:58:24 PM MST

ENGLEWOOD — — One more time, the Broncos owe a big thanks to their old friend Mike McCoy. The San Diego Chargers coach came up with a doozy game plan against his former team six weeks ago. Not only did the Chargers win that Dec. 12 game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, they embarrassed Denver's defense by possessing the ball for nearly 39 minutes.

Immediately afterward, the Broncos' defensive players walked to the left side of their locker room, and as the media waited outside with pens and harsh assessments, defensive tackle Terrance Knighton called his unit together.

"I felt like it was the right time for it," Knighton said. "I said, 'If anything needs to be said, now's the time to let it on out.'"

The 27-20 loss to the Chargers in Game 14 was the turning point for the Denver defense. Through 14 games, the Broncos ranked 26th in the 32-team NFL with an average of 26.6 points allowed. In their four games since — two in the regular season against Houston and Oakland and playoff victories over San Diego and New England — the Broncos have allowed an average of only 15 points per game.

"We kind of made a pact after the San Diego loss — not taking anything away from San Diego, but we didn't have our best stuff," said Broncos coach John Fox. "Basically, everybody made a pact that we're going to be the best we can be these last five games. We've gone through four of them; we've got one remaining."

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And it's the biggest one. The Broncos play the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII next Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

Halftime adjustments

What people might not understand is the Broncos are the only NFL team this season that had to continuously play two styles of defense within the same game. In the first half, when opponents tried to keep quarterback Peyton Manning off the field, they would run the ball. In the second half, when opponents frequently fell well behind, they would chuck it all over the field. When the Broncos gave up 48 points in a victory at Dallas this season? They were ahead 35-20 early in the third quarter before Tony Romo went wild. Denver escaped with a 51-48 victory.

Seattle's No. 1-ranked defense didn't have to go through this. The Seahawks didn't build big leads like Denver did. Their offense simply doesn't score like the Broncos. No other team in NFL history has.

"A lot of people don't understand how a defense has to learn how to play with a lead," said Brian Dawkins, a former star safety with Denver and Philadelphia who watched the Broncos' practice Friday and delivered the team's post-practice prayer. "The offense doesn't call the same plays when they're behind. They're more aggressive. So now you have to play the two-minute offense the whole second half."

They're still learning. While the Broncos have allowed only 60 points in their past four games, 44 were scored in the fourth quarter after Manning built commanding leads. In the playoff victories, Denver was able to shut down the Chargers and Patriots through three quarters.

"It's almost like a whole new game plan in the second half," Knighton said. "But it's something we're used to because (defensive coordinator Jack) Del Rio has been preparing us for that all season."

Gel in playoffs

There have been defenses such as the 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers, 2006 Indianapolis Colts and 2007 and 2011 New York Giants that struggled in the regular season, only to get some key players back from injuries and become Super Bowl champions.

What's baffling about the Broncos' defensive transformation is their improvement despite steady attrition.

Don't underestimate Bailey's return, though. In fact, point to it. He came back from his foot injury for good after the Game 14 loss to San Diego, just as the defense's remarkable four-game run began.

It also has been a more disciplined group overall since that Dec. 12 loss. Von Miller is the Broncos' best pass rusher, but he has a tendency to freelance. His replacement, Nate Irving, has been solid.

"I think another thing they started doing was to tackle better," said Dawkins, now an NFL analyst for ESPN. "And not just individual tackling. It's swarming, running to the football. That erases a lot of mistakes. You especially saw this last week (against New England). And they'll have to do that next week because Marshawn is a beast."

Marshawn Lynch, the Seahawks' star running back, is tough to tackle. The Broncos won't try to stop Lynch with one guy; they will try to tackle him with two or three. Then the pile will be hit with two or three more.

"It's a different attitude," Bailey said. "That's all tackling is. Everybody learns how to tackle when they were kids. It's not about technique. You minimize missed tackles; it takes a lot of mistakes away, a lot of big plays away."

The new attitude, the better tackling, the improved defense, it all happened thanks to the Broncos' loss in Denver to McCoy's Chargers in Game 14.

"After that game, guys really started dialing in," Bailey said. "Ever since then, our preparation and our focus has been there. That's the way it has to be this week."

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